1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the formation of seat cushions and particularly to forming a cushion for an upholstered chair seat or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objectives of the Invention
Polyurethane foam and other resilient materials have been used for seat cushions for many years in the upholstered furniture industry. Various dimensioned and density foam blocks are cut and covered with fabric to form seat cushions for sofas, chairs and other furniture. Additionally, chair and sofa frames are likewise often partially wrapped with resilient foam prior to covering with a desired fabric to achieve the desired contours and appearance. In the cost conscious furniture industry it has been lately the practice to preassemble foam covered components at various shops which are assembled at a central plant to expedite the manufacturing process. For example, upholstered chair manufacturers may contract through "outside" sources to purchase a partial chair seat assembly consisting of a wooden base having a contoured foam block glued thereto. The furniture maker after receiving this partial seat assembly and covers it with a fabric and subsequently attaches it to a finished chair frame. A large number of such partial seat assemblies may be kept on hand by the furniture manufacturer so changes to the fabric type or style can be quickly made depending on the customer's needs. While such partial seat assemblies can be made to exact standards, concerns and uniformity problems arise as the partial seat assembly is subject to an individual upholsterer's ability to correctly tension and attach the fabric cover and any additional layers prior to fixing the fabric cover thereto. The final steps in the chair production are subject to the particular craftsman's skills and oftentimes by applying too little or too much manual pressure during attachment of the fabric covering, an unacceptable product results. This oftentimes occurs along the upper contours and crown at the top of the seat.
With the known disadvantages and problems associated with the prior art seat cushion assemblies, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide a partial seat cushion assembly which will allow the manufacturer to produce an attractive, uniform and consistent seat on each chair manufactured.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a partial seat assembly which will allow the upholsterer ease and convenience in covering the cushion.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a seat cushion which has no unsightly underlines and which is contoured evenly throughout.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a method for forming a seat cushion in which a plurality of synthetic foam components are attached to a rigid base to form a smooth, even crown throughout.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a method for forming a seat cushion whereby a mold is used to insure uniformity in the crown.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a seat cushion from the process as described above.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed presentation is set forth below.